Japanese Movie Reviews »
Lala Pipo: A Lot of People (2009) Movie Review
Having been scripted by Tetsuya Nakashima, the award winning writer director of the excellent “Kamikaze Girls” and “Memories of Matsuko”, it comes as no surprise that “Lala Pipo” is another slice of colourful Japanese...
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Palisades Tartan’s Asian Horror: Essential Collection Review
Just in time for Halloween, Palisades Tartan has grouped together three of the most successful Asian horror films of recent years in one region 2 DVD collection. Although terms such as ‘essential’ are woefully...
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Samurai Princess (2009) Movie Review
More Japanese gore madness arrives from 4Digital Asia in the shapely form of “Samurai Princess”, the cover art not coincidently bearing a striking resemblance to that of its recent sister in slaughter, “Chanbara Beauty”....
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Big Man Japan (2007) Movie Review
“Big Man Japan”, now available on region 2 DVD via Revolver, marks the directorial debut of noted Japanese comedian Hitoshi Matsumoto, one half of the popular duo Dauntaun. Here, as well as scripting, he...
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20th Century Boys: Chapter Two – The Last Hope (2009) Movie Review
The epic Japanese “20th Century Boys” trilogy, based upon the hugely popular manga by Urasawa Naoki, continues with its second instalment, “The Last Hope”. Director Tsutsumi Yukihiko (previously responsible for cult hits such as...
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Dororo (2007) Movie Review
Manga adaptations have been hitting Japanese screens en masse in recent years, though fantasy sword epic “Dororo” does at least have an impeccable pedigree to set it out from the crowd, being based upon...
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Tokyo Gore Police (2008) Movie Review
In many ways, “Tokyo Gore Police” represents a culmination of the recent trend of Japanese ultra violent splatter sci-fi cinema. The film was directed by Nishimura Yoshihiro, whose pedigree in the field is impeccable,...
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Grotesque (2009) Movie Review
In these post-’”Hostel” days, with the so called torture porn genre having largely taken over the horror field, viewers have consistently been let down by cheap rip-offs and anaemic pretenders which fail to deliver...
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Ichi (2008) Movie Review
“Ichi” has an interesting premise, being a reimagining of the enduringly popular Japanese tale of Zatoichi, the blind masseur and master swordsman, who was previously the subject of a long-running film and television series...
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Meatball Machine (2005) Movie Review
Originally released back in 2005, “Meatball Machine” was one of the films to kick-start the current trend of Japanese ultra violence and sci-fi gore which has resulted in the likes of “Machine Girl” and...
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Goth: Love of Death (2008) Movie Review
“Goth: Love of Death” is director Takahashi Gen’s live-action adaptation of the award-winning novel by Japanese author Otsuichi, which had previously been adapted into a popular manga by artist Kendi Oiwa, and which has...
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Cutie Honey (2004) Movie Review
A live action version of the enduringly popular Japanese manga and anime series, “Cutie Honey” was directed by Hideaki Anno of “Neon Genesis Evangelion” fame. Originally released back in 2004, the film now arrives...
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The Machine Girl (2008) Movie Review
“The Machine Girl” was always destined for cult fandom due to the simple fact that it revolves around a cute Japanese schoolgirl with a machinegun arm, who goes out for revenge against the bullies...
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20th Century Boys (2008) Movie Review
“20th Century Boys” has been one of the most eagerly anticipated events in Japanese cinema for some time. The adaptation of the best selling 24 volume manga by Naoki Urasawa is to be made...
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Chanbara Beauty (OneChanbara: The Movie, 2008) Movie Review
If you actually went out and spent the time to hunt down and watch “OneChanbara” (aka “Chanbara Beauty”), since it’s unlikely you’ll stumble across it while surfing your local channels, you really have no...
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Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) Movie Review
Although not entirely a new concept, Asian Westerns have certainly been enjoying a minor surge in popularity of late with acclaimed Korean director Kim Ji Won’s “The Good, the Bad and the Weird” and...
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The (One-Armed) Machine Girl (2008) Movie Review
Ami (Minase Yashiro) is your typical high school student. She hangs out with her friend, plays basketball, and watches over her younger brother, Yu (Ryosuke Kawamura), who, unbeknownst to her is being bullied by...
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Kite Liberator (2008) Movie Review
The original “Kite” was a controversial, yet fascinating exercise in style and mood. Thematically similar to Luc Besson’s near-classic “Le Femme Nikita,” which was, at its core, a remake of the classic tale ‘Pygmalion,’...
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Bright Future (2003) DVD Review
“Bright Future” is a recent effort from acclaimed Japanese director Kiyoshi Kurosawa, finally released on region 2 DVD via Tartan. Although Kurosawa is best known for horror films such as “Kairo”, “Séance” and “Cure”,...
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Karas: The Revelation (2007) Movie Review
When I previously reviewed “Karas: The Prophecy,” I noted that it was a visually spectacular film that suffered from a criminally underdeveloped plot and slap-dash execution. There were so many good parts to what...
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